Participe passé avec COD infinitif
Agree the past participle only if the preceding direct object performs the action of the following infinitive verb.
The Rule in 30 Seconds
- Agree if the preceding direct object does the infinitive's action.
- No agreement if the object receives the infinitive's action.
- The verb `fait` never agrees when followed by an infinitive.
- Check: Is the object the 'actor' of the second verb?
Quick Reference
| Sentence | Object (COD) | Does Action? | Participle Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Les filles que j'ai vus jouer | Les filles | Yes (Playing) | vues (f.pl.) |
| La lettre que j'ai entendu lire | La lettre | No (Read by someone) | entendu (m.s.) |
| Les chats que j'ai vus courir | Les chats | Yes (Running) | vus (m.pl.) |
| La maison que j'ai fait construire | La maison | No (Exception: faire) | fait (m.s.) |
| Les chanteuses que j'ai entendues | Les chanteuses | Yes (Singing) | entendues (f.pl.) |
| Le film que j'ai vu projeter | Le film | No (Projected by machine) | vu (m.s.) |
أمثلة رئيسية
3 من 8Les enfants que j'ai vus jouer dans le parc.
The children I saw playing in the park.
La chanson que j'ai entendu chanter ce matin.
The song I heard being sung this morning.
Les musiciennes que j'ai entendues jouer du piano.
The musicians (fem.) I heard playing the piano.
The Actor Test
Try swapping the sentence: 'I saw the kids play' -> 'The kids play'. If it makes sense, agree!
The 'Faire' Trap
Never agree with 'fait' before an infinitive. It's a common trick in French exams.
The Rule in 30 Seconds
- Agree if the preceding direct object does the infinitive's action.
- No agreement if the object receives the infinitive's action.
- The verb `fait` never agrees when followed by an infinitive.
- Check: Is the object the 'actor' of the second verb?
Overview
French grammar has a secret level.
Think of it like a hidden boss in a game.
You already know how to talk about the past.
You use avoir and a past participle.
Usually, the participle stays the same.
But sometimes, it likes to change its outfit.
This happens when a direct object comes first.
It gets even trickier with an infinitive verb.
An infinitive is a verb that is not conjugated.
It still ends in -er, -ir, or -re.
Today, you will master this specific rule.
It is the 'Participe passé avec COD infinitif'.
Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes.
Do not worry, we will take it slow.
You are about to become a grammar pro.
How This Grammar Works
Imagine you are at a concert.
You see a singer performing on stage.
In French, you say J'ai vu la chanteuse chanter.
Everything looks normal here.
The verb vu comes before the person.
Now, let's move the singer to the front.
La chanteuse que j'ai vue chanter.
Notice the extra e on vue?
That is because the singer is female.
She is the 'Direct Object' or COD.
She is also the one doing the singing.
This is the golden rule of this pattern.
The object must perform the second action.
If the object just sits there, no agreement happens.
It is like a grammar traffic light.
Green light means the object is moving!
Red light means the object is just a thing.
Formation Pattern
- 1Start with your subject and
avoir. - 2Place the Direct Object (COD) before the verb.
- 3Use a verb of perception like
voirorentendre. - 4Add an infinitive verb right after it.
- 5Ask: Is the COD doing the infinitive action?
- 6If yes, add
e,s, oresto the participle. - 7If no, keep the participle in its basic form.
- 8Check if the verb is
faireorlaisser. - 9Remember that
faitnever ever agrees here.
When To Use It
Use this when you see people doing things.
It is perfect for describing your day.
Les enfants que j'ai vus courir.
Here, the children are the ones running.
Since 'children' is plural, we add an s.
You can use it for hearing things too.
La femme que j'ai entendue crier.
The woman is the one screaming.
Use it when the action is happening live.
It feels modern and very descriptive.
You will sound like a native speaker.
It shows you understand the flow of action.
Use it in job interviews to sound sharp.
'The teams I have seen succeed...'
It shows attention to detail and precision.
When Not To Use It
Do not agree if the object is passive.
Think about a song being sung.
La chanson que j'ai entendu chanter.
Did the song sing itself? No way.
Someone else sang the song.
In this case, entendu stays the same.
No extra e is needed here.
Also, watch out for the verb faire.
La voiture que j'ai fait réparer.
Fait is a rebel and hates agreement.
Even if the car is feminine, fait stays fait.
It is like a stubborn cat that won't move.
Never agree when the COD follows the verb.
J'ai vu les filles jouer stays simple.
Only look back if the object is in front.
Common Mistakes
Many people add an e every time.
They see a feminine word and panic.
Slow down and look at the second verb.
Is the 'pizza' eating itself? Probably not.
La pizza que j'ai vu manger.
Keep vu masculine because the pizza is eaten.
Another mistake is forgetting the plural s.
Les oiseaux que j'ai vus voler.
The birds are flying, so add the s.
Don't let the infinitive confuse you.
Focus on the relationship between the two.
Who is the boss of the second verb?
If it's the object, change the participle.
If it's not, leave it alone.
Contrast With Similar Patterns
Usually, avoir verbs are very lazy.
Elle a mangé une pomme.
No agreement happens because pomme is after.
If we say La pomme qu'elle a mangée.
We add an e because pomme is before.
This is the basic COD agreement.
Our new rule adds a second verb.
La femme que j'ai vue manger la pomme.
Now we have vue agreeing with the woman.
She is the one doing the eating.
Compare this to La pomme que j'ai vu manger.
Now we do not agree with the apple.
The apple is being eaten by someone else.
It is a subtle but powerful difference.
Quick FAQ
Q. Does faire ever agree with an infinitive?
A. No, it stays fait every single time.
Q. What if I don't know who does the action?
A. If it is unclear, usually do not agree.
Q. Is this used in casual speaking?
A. Yes, but people often skip it orally.
Q. Should I use it in my French essays?
A. Absolutely, it will impress your teachers!
Q. Does it work with être verbs?
A. No, this rule is specifically for avoir.
Q. Can I use it with any verb?
A. It mostly works with perception verbs.
Q. What are perception verbs?
A. Verbs like voir, entendre, and écouter.
Q. Is it okay to make mistakes?
A. Yes, even the French find this hard!
Reference Table
| Sentence | Object (COD) | Does Action? | Participle Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Les filles que j'ai vus jouer | Les filles | Yes (Playing) | vues (f.pl.) |
| La lettre que j'ai entendu lire | La lettre | No (Read by someone) | entendu (m.s.) |
| Les chats que j'ai vus courir | Les chats | Yes (Running) | vus (m.pl.) |
| La maison que j'ai fait construire | La maison | No (Exception: faire) | fait (m.s.) |
| Les chanteuses que j'ai entendues | Les chanteuses | Yes (Singing) | entendues (f.pl.) |
| Le film que j'ai vu projeter | Le film | No (Projected by machine) | vu (m.s.) |
The Actor Test
Try swapping the sentence: 'I saw the kids play' -> 'The kids play'. If it makes sense, agree!
The 'Faire' Trap
Never agree with 'fait' before an infinitive. It's a common trick in French exams.
Simplicity First
If the object is a thing (like a book or a pizza), it's usually passive. Don't agree.
Modern Speech
In fast conversations, many French people forget this. Don't stress too much if you miss it!
أمثلة
8Les enfants que j'ai vus jouer dans le parc.
Focus: vus
The children I saw playing in the park.
Children are doing the playing, so 'vus' agrees with 'enfants'.
La chanson que j'ai entendu chanter ce matin.
Focus: entendu
The song I heard being sung this morning.
The song isn't singing; it is being sung. No agreement.
Les musiciennes que j'ai entendues jouer du piano.
Focus: entendues
The musicians (fem.) I heard playing the piano.
They are doing the action. 'Entendues' matches feminine plural.
Les robes que j'ai fait fabriquer en France.
Focus: fait
The dresses I had made in France.
'Fait' + infinitive never agrees. Ever.
Les preuves que nous avons vues apparaître durant l'enquête.
Focus: vues
The evidence we saw appearing during the investigation.
Evidence is the subject of 'appearing'. Formal but follows the rule.
✗ La tarte que j'ai mangée. ✓ La tarte que j'ai vu manger.
Focus: vu
The pie I saw being eaten.
Don't agree with the pie if someone else ate it!
✗ Les profs que j'ai entendu parler. ✓ Les profs que j'ai vus parler.
Focus: vus
The teachers I saw speaking.
Teachers are speaking! Use plural 's'.
Les nuages que j'ai regardés passer rapidement.
Focus: regardés
The clouds I watched passing by quickly.
The clouds are doing the passing. Agreement is required.
اختبر نفسك
Choose the correct form of the participle.
Les actrices que j'ai ___ jouer hier soir étaient super. (voir)
The actresses (feminine plural) are the ones doing the action of playing.
Choose the correct form for a passive object.
La voiture que j'ai ___ réparer est prête. (faire)
With the verb 'faire' followed by an infinitive, there is never any agreement.
Is the object active or passive?
La symphonie que j'ai ___ jouer par l'orchestre. (entendre)
The symphony is being played by the orchestra, it is not doing the action itself.
🎉 النتيجة: /3
وسائل تعلم بصرية
To Agree or Not To Agree?
Agreement Logic Gate
Is the COD before the verb?
Is there an infinitive following?
Is the COD doing the action?
Is the verb 'faire'?
Verbs of Perception
Sight
- • Voir (to see)
- • Regarder (to watch)
Sound
- • Entendre (to hear)
- • Écouter (to listen)
الأسئلة الشائعة
21 أسئلةIt stands for Complément d'Objet Direct. It's the person or thing directly receiving the action of the verb.
It requires you to think about two verbs at once. You have to decide if the object is active or passive in the second action.
Yes, Les chanteurs que j'ai écoutés chanter is perfectly correct. The singers are the ones singing.
You must add an s to the past participle if the object is active. For example, Les oiseaux que j'ai vus voler.
Yes, but 'laisser' is becoming more like 'faire'. Most modern guides say you don't have to agree with laissé anymore.
Ask yourself: Is the object 'performing' the second verb? If a person is running, they are performing it.
No agreement because the house doesn't build itself. It is being built by workers.
Yes, 'que' often introduces the COD at the start of the sentence. It's your signal to check for agreement.
Yes, if the active COD is feminine, add an e. Example: La femme que j'ai vue partir.
In casual talk, yes. In writing, especially professional emails, you should try to follow it.
Grammarians decided that 'faire' + infinitive forms a single verbal unit. This unit is treated as invariable.
Yes, but here the object is after the verb. No agreement is needed at all in this simple order.
If 'nous' comes before the verb and we are doing the action, add an s. Il nous a vus danser.
It is an extension of it. The presence of the infinitive adds a new condition for the agreement to happen.
Yes! La pluie que j'ai sentie tomber. The rain is the thing falling.
Technically yes, if the COD is active. Elle les a laissés partir.
This gets advanced, but usually, the rule remains the same. Focus on who performs the action.
Yes, that is just the standard COD rule. The infinitive rule only applies when a second verb appears.
Look at photos of people in a park. Say what you saw them doing using this specific structure.
No, you will sound very sophisticated! It's the mark of a high-level French learner.
Check for faire first. If you see it, don't agree. Then check if the object is a person or a thing.
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